Wonder Woman v4 14

Synopsis

In Antarctica, a group of scientists and military have watched the mysterious giant that they recently unearthed for nearly six hours. The giant had eaten one of the scientists' brains in order to learn their language, and had taken little time in telling the humans that he needed no help from them. Even so, one scientist named Cassandra inquires as to what he might be waiting for, given that he was buried for nearly seven millennia. Angrily, he realizes that he has spent seven thousand years digging for his freedom, and that his place in history was wiped from existence by his father Zeus.

Wonder Woman, meanwhile, has been attacked in a Lybian ruin by Siracca, a bastard daughter of Zeus. Siracca has little interest in Diana's intention in coming, and tells of how she met Hera as a girl in Palestine in 1917, and was made to watch as the jealous goddess murdered her mother by suffocating her in a sandstorm. She turned on the girl next, and caused the sandy winds to tear and grind her flesh and bone into dust. It was only through Zeus' intervention that Siracca was raised, turned into the very agent of her destruction: the wind.

Wonder Woman explains that she suffered at Hera's hand as well, as her mother was turned to clay and her Amazonian sisters were turned to snakes. Her father made no intervention on her behalf, and it is only her hope that Hera can somehow reverse her punishments that allies her to the woman. All Zeus has done for Diana is father a family for her; Lennox, and now Siracca herself. She came to Siracca in the hope that she would help her find another lost child of Zeus: Zola's.

On Mount Olympus, the gods are gathered with a strong sense of tension between them. Apollo has become obsessed with the prophecy that a child of Zeus would murder another, and take their throne. He is attempting to convince his brothers and sisters that Wonder Woman is that child of Zeus, and that she poses a threat to all of them. Ares, however, spares little time in informing the others that Apollo is merely concerned for himself, given his recent coup. As a child of Zeus himself, Ares warns that he would happily murder them all (except for Aphrodite and Hephaestus), before leaving. Having expected this, Apollo claims that Ares has lost his mind, and sends Dionysus to follow him.

The giant is confused as to how Cassandra knows of him, given that his history was erased. She explains that his story was tattooed on every inch of the mummified body of the witch who took him from his mother as a babe. The body had been uncovered nearly 60 years ago. That witch had taken him on proud Zeus's order, given that she had predicted his right as first-born was to one day rule Olympus alone. Hera was grief-stricken, and begged for his life, so he was left to be raised by hyenas in the desert. Cassandra knows more than that, even, but the displaced son of Zeus insists that he must wait for a sign of the one who has taken his birthright. Within a short time, the sun rises on the horizon, and he realizes that his rival is the pragmatist and coward Apollo.

Siracca attempts to use the wind to hear any words that might be spoken by the kidnapper Hermes regarding Zola's child. She suggests that their brother Milan may be able to help. He resides in New York.

Somewhere far away from Earth, Orion hears from Highfather that the Source has detected grave danger coming. It is a danger that strikes fear into him - a rare thing. It is a danger that portends the end of the Source itself; the end of time. That threat originates somewhere on Earth.